The object of this invention is a digital, real-time signal processor. Its applications cover sound-processing, telecommunications, image-processing, optimisation of process control. etc . . . and in general, all techniques related to real-time signal processing.
It is a frequent occurrence, in data-processing systems, to associate a peripheral unit assigned to special processing, thereby offloading the computer of certain tasks and rendering it available for others.
The general organization of such a system is illustrated in FIG. 1. A computer 10 is connected to a mass memory 12 and to interactive units 14. The computer is associated with a peripheral processor 16. This processor comprises, firstly, an input/output circuit 20 with inputs 21, 25 and outputs 23, 26; certain inputs 21 are equipped with a analog-to-digital converter 22, and other inputs, 23, with an analog-to-digital converter 24. These inputs and outputs thus work in analog mode. The other inputs 25 and outputs 26 work in digital mode. The peripheral processor also includes an input/output control unit 30, a coupling circuit 40 to computer 10, a buffer memory 50, digital processing elements 60 and a circuit 70 controling the processing elements 60. All of these units are interconnected by a bus 80.
In such a system, computer 10 controls the peripheral processor 16. The mass memory 12 stores data addressed to or from the processor.
Externally input signals can be routed through inputs 21, 25. Likewise, signals output through 23, 26 can be applied to external units, not represented, the nature of which depends on the application under way.
Peripheral processors, used up until now, included the means of handling digital processing in which the various elements presented a predetermined configuration as a function of the type of processing required. Even if this solution proves suitable for as long as the processing is always the same, it naturally causes an inconvenience when various types of operations are needed, wherein the operations can change during processing, or from one batch of processing to another.